(20 Sep 1996) English/Nat
White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey says heroin use in the United States is increasing, almost to the same level as cocaine.
At a House subcommittee hearing Thursday, the former Army general, said that while the statistics are not complete, his office has placed heroin at the top of its agenda.
Sub-committee Republicans accused the administration of withholding a Pentagon report that was critical of the administration's war on drugs.
The Clinton administrations drug Czar was called to a House sub-committee hearing to talk about anti-heroin policy.
Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey said that heroin was a serious problem that the President will address at a U-N meeting next week.
McCaffrey will join the president for that U-N speech.
SOUNDBITE: (English):
"We can document a couple of hundred thousand of Americans addicted to heroin, we think there is six hundred thousand -- a more realistic figure and we have called it an aging group that are destroying themselves, their families and their neighborhoods."
SUPER CAPTION: Barry McCaffrey, Director of the US Office of National Control Drug Policy
McCaffrey was appointed by President Clinton earlier this year to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
At the time appointment was praised by members of both parties.
But now Republicans are grilling McCaffrey about a think tank report requested by the Pentagon.
Republicans say the administration withheld the report that was critical of their drug policy.
Citing the report, Robert Mica, a Republican from Florida said, the administration's emphasis on treating cocaine addiction and other drug problems had been ineffective and that interdiction efforts would have been more cost-effective.
McCaffrey said the report was not being withheld and that the Republican's conclusions drawn from the report are utter nonsense.
But Republican criticism continued at the hearing.
SOUNDBITE: (English):
"I don't want to go back to my constituents and say and I sat around and blamed people, the music industry, and all that. I want to know what we can do because we have a limited amount of time to address the problem. It is a major problem that is eroding our country from the inside. And I'm just wondering what we can do. Tell us, all of us, Democrats and Republicans, what can we do to help with this problem, other than that we are wasting our time. I also say that to you, Mr. McCaffrey, you know, when you come up, because we -- I don't want to waist anytime -- I got people dying everyday."
SUPER CAPTION: Representative Tom Lantos/California Republican
McCaffrey said he asked several other independent experts to review the study, and they almost dismissed it out of hand.
McCaffrey insisted the administration is fully engaged in the fight against heroin, which is used by some 600,000 Americans and it presents a particularly grave threat to the American people.
He said law enforcement agencies have had several notable successes recently in cutting off heroin supplies in East Asia but added that in the end, it's a prevention strategy more than it is an interdiction strategy.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Barry McCaffrey, Director of the US Office of National Control Drug Policy
The issue of drug use in the United States has already become a campaign issue in the election year.
Republican candidate Bob Dole using advertisements that appear to blame the Clinton administration for the rise in heroin use.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
